14 police stations, 48 police posts in J&K without toilets: RTI

A piece of information received by an RTI activist reveals that over a dozen of police stations and police posts across the state of Jammu and Kashmir are sans basic amenities like toilet and drinking water.

Jammu: A piece of information received by an RTI activist reveals that over a dozen of police stations and police posts across the state of Jammu and Kashmir are sans basic amenities like toilet and drinking water.

"Shocking, but true that often facing accusation of human rights violations at the hands of civilians, the Jammu and Kashmir Police itself is victim of human rights violation, at least it is true for the lower rank officers deputed in the police stations and police posts," said RTI activist Raman Sharma.

The Information provided by the Public Information Officer cum AIG Welfare of the Jammu and Kashmir Police Headquarters in response to the application under right to information act reveals that 48 police posts and 14 police stations in the state are without any toilet facility.

"Similarly on the question of drinking water facility provided by the department to the officers and Jawans, the RTI reply also discloses that 49 Posts and 23 Police Stations are without any drinking water facility" he said.

He said, "on the question of any plan under which these basic amenities would be provided to the police stations, the PHQ while evading any direct reply or fixed time-line stated that the facilities like providing of drinking water, toilets etc is the prime priority of the department and the same is projected under annual action plans in phased manner."

"I just wanted to highlight the plight of lower rung police staff and to show the people that under what circumstances they perform their duties" he said.

He said that he has urged the Director General of Jammu and Kashmir police K Rajendra Kumar to provide the basic facilities to the police staff.

"Denying basic amenities in police units amounts to human rights violation. It is imperative that to have citizen friendly police we extend these basic facilities to them at an earliest" he said.